It’s been seven years, after all, since union members’ 276-6 no-confidence vote against the chief.

What is new is that details of Epperson’s fraught relationship with his officers now are expected to emerge when the chief faces a disciplinary action later this month before the Rockford Fire and Police Commission.

The disciplinary process may well prove to be juicy theater, political and otherwise, for people who enjoy that sort of thing.

What it won’t do, however, is advance the fight against violent crime in Rockford.

Nor will it restore public confidence in the police force.

And it definitely won’t do anything to make Rockford residents feel safer in their homes and on the city’s streets.

Far from it. The Epperson saga stands merely to distract attention inside and outside the force from the important business of policing the city of Rockford.

Rockford can’t afford the distraction.

It is for that reason that we believe the time has come for Epperson to step down.

It’s time for a new chief with fresh perspectives on fighting crime and collaborating with other law enforcement agencies.

With crime ranking as the top concern of participants in public meetings sponsored by the Transform Rockford initiative, it simply makes no sense to retain a chief who has so polarized the police force and the community it serves. And in fact, to allow the situation to persist would be to disrespect the wishes of many residents who believe crime here is out of control. Internal bickering, after all, isn’t a crime-fighting strategy.

The face-off between the chief and the Rockford Police Benevolent & Protective Association turned embarrassing on July 3 at the Winnebago County Courthouse, in a hearing so absurd that it could have been an episode of the long-gone television show “Night Court.” Or how about “Who’s the Boss?” Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey or the Fire and Police Commission? Morrissey selects the commissioners, but they are supposed to act independently of the mayor.

Judge Eugene Doherty should be commended for his patience as neither side could provide evidence of who appointed Epperson in 2006.

It didn’t take us long to find a statute that says, “The board of fire and police commissioners shall appoint all officers and members of the fire and police departments of the municipality, including the chief of police and the chief of the fire department. ...”

After that there’s a bunch of “unlesses” and lawyerese that can confuse the issue, but the intent seems clear: The commissioners are in charge.

Page 2 of 3 - That’s what Judge Doherty ruled in denying Epperson’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the Rockford Board of Fire and Police Commissioners from investigating the chief’s role in an Oct. 30 welfare check at the home of NAACP Rockford Chapter President Lloyd Johnston.

Epperson’s argument of “you’re not the boss of me” seems a flimsy excuse to get out of an investigation. If Epperson did everything right Oct. 30, he should welcome an investigation and end all doubts.

We’ve previously supported Epperson, but the face-off with the union has become intolerable. Over the years, we thought, the police union would grudgingly come to respect the job Epperson is doing, even if the rank-and-file don’t like him. It hasn’t happened.

You also get the impression that Epperson doesn’t want to be here anymore. He’s applied for at least one other job, police chief in Schaumburg.

Epperson is a whiz at numbers, numbers that show the crime rate has been declining. But he hasn’t been able to erase the public perception that we are not safe in our own homes. An effective leader would have made some progress against that negative perception.

An effective leader would have a strong, experienced team behind him. But no one is left from the command staff that was there when Epperson was named chief in 2006. Deputy chiefs have exited as soon as they could. People who feel respected, appreciated and needed will stay with an organization when tempted by other options. Strong organizations are built on strong middle management; Epperson has been unable to retain experienced managers.

The command staff also is less diverse than when Epperson took over. Gone are Theo Glover, an African-American who spent seven years as a deputy chief before taking the top job with the Rockford Park District, and Lori Sweeney, the department’s first female deputy chief, who announced her retirement last month. Epperson has not groomed the next Glover or Sweeney. A police force should reflect the diversity of the community it serves. Rockford’s does not.

You might remember that Epperson was the second choice of the Fire and Police Commission.

David Purdy, who worked for the U.S. State Department as law-enforcement adviser to the police constabulary in Jamaica, was the first choice. The offer to Purdy was withdrawn after the results of a background check were received. Three weeks later, commissioners gave the job to Epperson.

He wasn’t even a unanimous choice. It was a 2-1 vote.

Surely, Morrissey understands that what goes on in the Police Department reflects on the job he’s doing. Is the union blameless? No. But there’s only one chief.

Page 3 of 3 - Epperson has become an albatross around the administration’s neck. Morrissey should encourage Epperson to resign for the good of the city.